Friday, September 6, 2013

Innovative Rotherham company, Martek Marine has secured an export order to supply more than 100 marine defibrillators for Swire's entire China Navigation fleet, as sales of the product increase rapidly.

The Manvers company supplies ships around the world with safety and environmental monitoring systems. The sales of its Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in 2013 are up 475% on 2012, with over four months of the year remaining.

The impressive figures come as the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) set an August deadline to have a marine defibrillator on every vessel, with crew trained in its use.

The China Navigation Company (CNCo) is the wholly owned, deep-sea shipowning and operating arm of the Swire group. It operates a global network of multi-purpose liner services and cargo ships. Other recent global customers for Martek include Bernhard Schulte Management, Chemikalien Seatransport and Topaz Energy & Marine.

Ian Couldwell, AED product manager at Martek Marine, said: "It is extremely encouraging to see the positive response to MLC 2006 [the new legislation]. Of course these changes are required under law but regulation like MLC puts these often-overlooked safety devices and procedures into the thoughts of shipping management. As each new level of safety comes into legislation, the bar continues to be raised and the difficult, dangerous job of seafaring becomes a little bit safer, and we should always be looking to raise that level of safety."

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is the world's biggest killer, killing over three million people worldwide every year. Using a defibrillator to restore a normal heart rhythm within the first three minutes can improve survival rates by up to 70% and so access to a defibrillator on board a ship can be a matter of life and death.

Exporting to over 80 countries, Martek has a turnover of around £10m and recently sailed through the £1m profit barrier. As it continues to grow, it continues to take on more staff. In Manvers, Stephen Lapthorne has joined the team as finance director, along with telesales executive Deon Jacobs, regional sales manager, Gary Rees and the youngest new recruit, Jack Marsh, who joins as a business administration apprentice.

Queenie Jeow and Stacey Gan have also recently joined the sales team at Martek's Singapore office.